Here we are, not quite to mid November. I’m noticing on my walks in the evening at dusk or later that many houses have trees up inside.
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Lights and trees are going up in my neighborhood too. I have to admit that I’m excited to put ours up but I’m waiting until after Thanksgiving.
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I may admit that I put up my two trees yesterday, but they are not lit nor decorated. Hopefully, that will take place over the weekend, or at least the lighting part. I confess I put so many lights on them it takes FOREVER. But I love it when it’s done. I was exhausted from carrying everything up and down all the flights of stairs to the attic, I can’t see how I ever did everything all on one day before.
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When DH and I worked, we always put up the (artificial) tree on Thanksgiving weekend so it would be up while we did shopping, cards. and the like. We’ve been retired for a while but still do!
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We have a lot of people in our neighborhood who put up holiday decorations in the last couple of weeks. I can understand wanting to put them up when the weather is warmer. If I did that though, I wouldn’t light them until December. But many people are in full Christmas light show at this point.
We never put up any decorations until December. Usually it was the first weekend of the month. But when kids went to college we started putting tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. Outside decorations typically put up in December but after Thanksgiving works. When we talked about my son’s plans for Thanksgiving weekend, he led with plans to be here with his girlfriend on Friday to put up the tree. She was with us 2 years ago and apparently we didn’t scare her away. LOL Last year they didn’t come home for the holiday.
I prefer putting up outside decorations when its cold. Seems like a summer exercise if its warm. Though they are down the first week of January (at least as soon as we have a day above freezing). Nothing it lit after January 1st or so even if its too cold to take decorations down. Lights don’t come down easily/well when its freezing.
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Okay, I’m a liar. I put our tree up today instead of waiting until next weekend. Lol. It’s an artificial, pre-lit, pencil tree and very easy to put up, but I do need dh to help me. I have not put any ornaments on yet, however. I’m going to do that at my leisure over the next few days. I figured it would be more enjoyable putting it up this weekend rather than next when we are getting ready to head out of town.
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I went to Zoo Lights last night. It was a preview sponsored by a realtor group (and free) so early, but got me in the mood. Went last year and it was freezing, but this year was very nice.
Christmas music also started on the station that will now play it non-stop, thru Dec 26.
In the mood.
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Well, I bit the bullet and just ordered an artificial pre-lit Balsam Hill tree.
Though I really love the smell of a fresh cut tree, the acquiring, adding lights and ornaments, and discarding, all by myself, has become less enjoyable each year.
It arrives between 11/22-11/29 so it will go up soon thereafter.
It will stay up, as my Mom used to say, ‘until the Kings come’ - January 6th.
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I went to a Junior League Holiday House on Friday. I think that was was got me in the mood and prompted me to just go ahead and put up our tree.
I saw a house with Christmas lights and decorations up last week! According to the homeowners association, they aren’t supposed to. But I’m not telling. It certainly doesn’t hurt anyone.
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We are debating this. We get a real tree. D will be home for Thanksgiving so it’s tempting to get it then and then we can get it set up and lights on while she’s back at school and we can do ornaments and stuff once she’s home. OR we can wait and buy it once she’s home after finals but that wouldn’t be until maybe mid-December (we haven’t booked her flight home yet). I am afraid if we get it too early it will be pretty crispy by Christmas but if we wait there won’t be much left. Decisions, decisions…
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In Denver people leave their lights up until the Stock Show is over, at the end of January. Last year the stock show was cancelled for the first time in 100 years, so many people left their lights up well beyond January. We also had some putting up lights in July as a Covid ‘cheer up.’
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Similar here. If I put it up Thanksgiving weekend maybe I have some help to do it (really, it’s all about the help!). If not grad school D won’t be home until at least mid December - which is too late in my mind to put it up. I do like it down by NY Day.
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It will be interesting to see if my husband or kids do any decorating this year since I’ve announced I won’t due to my trip to Texas.
Influencers are turning into Box stores and putting out Christmas decor extra early this year. Not to be hurried, I will wait and do the usual weekend after Thanksgiving set up. It seems each year for me the decorations are less and less and the true meaning of Christmas spirit is more and more.
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Lol, I noticed that too on so many Instagram influencers feeds I watch. But you know I also feel like December 27, they are packing that holiday stuff fast as they can because they’ve had it for 2 months!!! 
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Pre-pandemic, I used to decorate early before Thanksgiving because we had a big holiday party in early December.
We won’t be resuming big parties just yet so I’m waiting til the first week of Dec.
I broke down today and decorated the outside of the house. It is 62 degrees and forecasted to be in the mid 30s next Friday (when I would have put them out). I was able to decorate the entire front porch in short sleeves. It feels early but I definitely wasn’t the first (or second or third) to change over to winter holiday decor in our neighborhood. The only thing I couldn’t do was hang our outside ornaments because the leaves are still all on the trees and shrubs.
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Just finished the tree so now I’ll focus on Thanksgiving food. Never in my life have I done the tree this early but have to be ready for a party in a couple weeks. Maybe tomorrow I can figure out how to post a picture.
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Thanksgiving is over so Christmas can begin in our house. S is home and wants to go cut down a real tree so we will likely do that today though we won’t put it up yet. Pumpkins are being dropped off with someone in our community who takes them to a goat farm.
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